Former Title: Tackling Hard Thinking (THT)

Information on this page:

Testimonials from Managers

John Allison, Chairman
& CEO, BB&T, writes: "Having
participated in the 'Thinking Tactics' course, I would recommend it to
anyone who wants to improve their thinking methods. The course is
particularly helpful in bringing to consciousness practical techniques
to focus your thought process and overcome thinking inertia. Every
participant in the course I attended found it to be extremely helpful."

Doug Arends, Chairman,
Canadian Bank Note Company, says: "As Jean energetically
presents her course in an organized, skillful manner, I listen with a
big grin knowing how much extra profit I will make by having our
employees spend a day with her being taught how to think better. The
attendees come back charged with Jean's energy and ideas, ready to
work."

Jim Blakeslee,
CIO/Vice President Information Technology, Moraine Park Technical
College, Fond du Lac, WI, says, "After taking Thinking
Tactics myself, I brought Jean in to give it to the whole IT
department. I knew it would be a good fit, and that every member of my
team could benefit from it at work (and in their personal life). In IT,
a good way to fail is to not think things through in advance and her
class provides this focus.
"Since she gave the class a few
months ago, I have seen changes in enough members of my team to know it
has paid off. I see team members being more methodical
and more thoughtful, and I see my direct reports using the techniques
they learned in class on a regular basis. I wasn't surprised. I put
this unique training at the top of the list for developing better
employees. I think every organization should train their employees in
Thinking Tactics."

David Miller, General
Counsel & Secretary, Rogers Communications Inc.,
reports: "After Jean gave Thinking Tactics 1: Concentration to the
legal department, I had at least a dozen emails saying how great it
was."

Blake Scholl, Manager,
Community Social Networks, Amazon.com, writes: "THT
teaches practical tactics which apply directly to real-world problems.
The lessons are well-integrated and memorable: months after the
training, the vocabulary and tactics from THT are still seen commonly
in our group's technical reviews, brainstorming sessions, and other
meetings. I recommend Tackling Hard Thinking as a tool for developing
your top employees."

Keith Schacht, CEO,
Inventables, writes: "Last year I brought Jean Moroney
to Chicago to give "Tackling Hard Thinking" to a group of people. It
was a fantastic experience, unlike any other workshop I had attended.
It covered practical methods for thinking through tough
problems—by
tough problems I mean problems where you feel mentally stuck, you're
going in circles, you're not even sure how to approach the issue, etc.
I can't say enough good things about it, it has had a lasting change on
the way I approach thinking through issues."

Andrew Layman, Product
Unit Manager, Microsoft, writes: "I met Jean Moroney two
years ago at a conference when we sat together at the same table for
breakfast, and, when I learned that she was a professional coach in
improved thinking techniques, naturally I asked her for some advice.
She gave me one idea, a process she called 'thinking on paper,' and I
tried it out for the next six months and noticed a considerable
improvement in my ability to get my mind around some tricky problems.

"When Jean offered to give a free, short workshop to my team at
Microsoft, I invited her in and the results were positive: a month
later, many of the participants were still using the techniques (a key
measure, in my mind, of whether a class has delivered actual value!).
Since then, Jean has returned several times to teach larger classes at
Microsoft, including two days of training for the Windows Mentoring
Ring. Attendee feedback has been broadly positive, with many reporting
that the class — unlike any other classes they had taken
— gave them a
systematic method for sustained, efficient thinking on complex
problems."

Jason Crawford, Software
Development Manager, Amazon.com, says: "This course is
on the personal development plan of every employee on my team,
effective immediately."

John Lough, Manager of
Professional Development at BB&T University,
reports: "15 of 15
managers who attended the first offering of this course recommended
that it be included in the BB&T University program. Now it is.
Ms. Moroney is giving four sessions of the workshop this year, and we
are already making plans for next year."

Testimonials from
participants in workshops

"I cannot even begin to express how much the course has helped me so far. I now carry a notebook around with me almost everywhere I go. Anytime I am stuck on a problem I start thinking on paper right away. This has been particularly helpful when it comes to programming. I used to flail quite a bit when I was problem solving. Now I write my goals out, figure out a solution on paper, then get to coding. I still catch myself flailing every now and then but I am stunned by how much of an impact the course has had on me in such a short time."—Joseph Tabenkin, Business Process Analyst, Vancouver BC

"If you are interested in clear, actionable ideas to improve
your
thinking presented in an enthusiastic and compelling manner, I
strongly recommend Jean Moroney's Thinking Tactics workshop.
The class is invigorating, challenging and a ridiculously good value
for a learning experience which offers techniques and insights that
will pay dividends for the rest of your life. If you manage people or
work in any kind of group setting, there is no question the
workshop would help the productivity and functioning of the entire
team."—Mark Jabo, Financial Consultant, New York, NY

"No matter what your line of work or life's goals, go.
Thinking
Tactics helps makes the problems and issues clearer, and perhaps
even easier to solve."—Jomarie Di Iorio, Artist, New York, NY

"I was surprised at how much you can get out of a few minutes
thinking about a project — it's much more than you'd think is
possible. This class was well worth the time."—Deb Simpson, Managing Vice President,
Institute for
Justice

"This class is more than worth the time and money it cost. It
will
pay for itself in my next one
week of work! I was surprised by
how, even in just a few minutes of class time using the techniques, I
reduced my stress level over an upcoming deadline — and
made some
actual progress."—W. Dale Stevens, PhD, Neuroscientist, National
Institute
of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD

"Take this workshop! The time invested will be well rewarded.
I
was surprised at how much can be accomplished in short time
periods, and how much my subconscious can tell me if I ask it in
the right way. This class empowered me to work on my project and
to 'bust through' barriers by completing intermediate steps."—Betty Allison, Lewisville, NC

"Definitely attend. This class is both practical and
motivating. It showed me the importance of having particular methods
for jump -
starting and organizing my thinking — and has motivated me to
use
those methods more formally and deliberately. I am excited about
becoming more productive."—Steve Simpson, Senior Attorney, Institute for
Justice

"This class is very
valuable, as a practical guide to
getting
projects done. I found it interesting how the skills applied across the
board to both personal and professional activities. Jean did a great
job at distilling a lot of theory into practical skill sets. She's a
great
teacher — I loved the analogies and the humor."—Adam Mossoff, Professor of Law, George Mason
University
School of Law

"This workshop helped me deal with a problem that had been
plaguing me for some time. Once I learned about the floundering
scenarios, I had a major breakthrough that has already saved me over
$500! And the methods of surveying and spiraling were well worth the
cost of the entire workshop."—Francesco Moriconi, Owner, Fitness Analysis
and
Comprehensive Training

"One aspect I like so much about your method is that you
combine examining one's feelings with one's factual reasons that stand
in the way of getting things done. Learning that it is not just okay,
but eminently practical, to name those feelings is very helpful. It
actually helps in getting things done. I continue to use your method
regularly." —Raymond
Niles, Managing Partner, RCNiles Capital, LLC

"Applying just a few of your thinking rules to a problem today
led me to a solution that improved the product vastly. When I saw the
power of what I had done, I felt euphoric. Thank you for
giving me the tools to accomplish this!"—Don Otis, IT Professional

"I went into the Thinking Tactics workshop with a couple of
problems to think about, one which I thought was unsolvable. I worked
on it in one of the exercises—and now I see what to do. Jean
gave me a method to follow."—Jim McCrory, Lawyer, Albuquerque, NM

"Very worthwhile for strong thinkers interested in a
systematic framework to increase the effectiveness of their thinking
process."—Vivek Nadkarni, MIT '97

"I would recommend Thinking Tactics to everyone. It was
benevolent, practical, simple, and extremely valuable for anyone with a
difficult task, whether it be a thinking problem, or a real-world
project."—Sandy Landin, Writer

"Be open-minded. Do the exercises. The tactics are
surprisingly helpful."—David
Lennon, Attorney, New York, NY

"I was impressed with how much the membership in the Thinking Lab added value to
the workshop. The thinking tips and teleclasses were very helpful for
reviewing the tactics we learned in the class and applying them to real
life problems. This package is a great a value, well worth the money."—Gulsun
Akanayigit, Financial Analyst, New York, NY

"If you're thinking you're too stressed or overwhelmed to
devote 8 hours to this workshop, you should especially go." —Katie
Brakora, PhD Candidate in Biology, University of California, Berkeley

"Thank you for your wonderful workshop. I can immediately
apply the material you presented to all facets of my life. In fact,
everyone I spoke to during the breaks felt as if you tailored the
workshop for them. Considering the varieties of professions and
personalities that were represented, it is clear that Thinking Tactics
can benefit anyone who wants to think."—Alec Bass, Information Security Specialist

"I was working on a strategy document for my new team and
getting stuck. So I pulled out my binder from 'Tackling Hard Thinking'
and reviewed the Thinking on Paper section. The technique really
helped. Thank you." —Randy Henne, Principal Group Program Manager,
Microsoft
Ireland

"Excellent! Well worth the money! The workshop was
instrumental in getting me going on an important long-term project. It
helped me identify the real reason I was stalled, which wasn't what I
expected. The fact that it wasn't going anywhere was causing me a great
deal of stress. Now it's moving forward."—Dawn Bacak, Houston, Texas

"The Thinking Tactics I learned in your course have
been of extraordinary value to me. Not only have they made certain
thought processes of mine more efficient, they have also increased my
confidence for dealing with complicated problems in the future. I will
definitely continue to recommend your course to my friends."
—Kara
Zavarella, Ph.D. candidate in English
Literature, New York University

"Jean Moroney's course addresses the problem-solving
difficulties that occur in the real world."—Bill Decker,
Technology
Management and Licensing, San Diego

"Go take it. Thinking Tactics will provide you with a system
which you can use instantly to leverage your thinking to meet your
goals."—Rohit Gupta, PhD,
Santa
Clara, CA

"I had a huge photography project due and felt overwhelmed.
Suddenly, the spiraling technique popped into mind. Immediately, I
calmed down and got done what I needed to do. I couldn't have done it
without that tool."—Shelley McCrory, Photographer and former
Network
Executive, Los Angeles, CA

"I've known for a long time that if I'm stuck I'm not asking
the right question. Now I know how to start."
—Cathy Moya, Lead Technical Writer, Microsoft

"Your course was a breakthrough event. It gave me a structure
for the thinking process that is helping eliminate the logjam of
stalled thinking. It has freed up my mind to focus on solutions instead
of floundering."
—Tim Rozycki, Chicago, IL

"This was the most stimulating and useful one-day seminar I've
attended
Professionals need to take a step back to better understand their own
thinking tactics."
—David Ireland, Canadian Bank Note

"Thank you for your Tackling Hard Thinking workshop. The
techniques you taught us are enjoyable and effective, making "hard
thinking" much more satisfying. I tackle difficult problems with more
confidence—and very pleasing success!"—Catherine Dickerson, MSW, San Diego

"Jean Moroney helps you figure out what's standing in the way
of achieving your goals."
—Shar McBee, Author of Joy of Leadership

"The clarity of the workshop is terrific. It comes from what I
call the "oh, yeah!" quality—the ability you have to describe
real
minds really working, not just to deliver a theoretical lecture that I
have to struggle to tie to my own concretes. I was thinking of dozens
of ways to use this information even before I got home from the
workshop! And I've been using it ever since."—Susan Bowden, Montessori Teacher

"I use 'Thinking Tactics' for a lot of day-to-day activities
at work. They're great tools to have available. Before I took the
class, I might delay working on a problem when I got stuck, and move on
to something else. Now I know what to look for and what to do. I've not
had an instance where I haven't been able to come up with a solution
using the tactics. Thanks for a great life lesson." —Brett Crawford, Automotive Engineering,
Detroit,
Michigan

"This unique course gives the participant an excellent toolbox
of thinking techniques that will not be found anywhere else."—Gabrielle M. Kotoski, RN
President, Medical Communications Management Group

"I want to thank you for the Tackling Hard Thinking Course.
Being a business owner, I constantly face decisions, planning, and
management tasks that require insight, information, and above all,
clear thinking. The ideas and methods I learned from your course are
going to be an incredible value to me."—Michael Pizolato, Owner, Tutoring Club of the
Lehigh
Valley

"Your course was really worth my time and money. I had used
'thinking on paper' before, but now I have additional methods to use
with it, and I can do it routinely. The tactics are tremendously
helpful in regaining focus after frequent interruptions.
Great stuff."—Bart Blacha, Software Engineer, Austin, Texas

"Jean Moroney's classes in thinking contain essential material
for anyone who seeks to live successfully. The techniques offered in
both the Thinking Tactics workshop and the subsequent monthly
teleclasses are remarkable.
"Her language is fresh and her approach is clear
and concise. Not only does she attack problem solving for all
kinds of work-related projects, but also for 'living life at its best
possible' related projects.
"Through her insights and with her encouragement,
I have launched and continue to improve a new career, a new home, and a
new marriage. These take thinking -- serious, important
planning and review.
"Her teaching style is so precise and
goal-directed that it is impossible to feel clumsy or silly when asking
for advice. NO question is uninteresting to her! The teaching
goal, for all her students, is the effective application of the
techniques discussed.
"As a successful teacher of piano for 40 years, I
look eagerly for fine teaching. It is not so easy to
discover! But I have found it in Jean Moroney's classes. Fine
teaching requires a sincere effort to understand the student, to
approach the problems and questions with every possible consideration
toward finding a solution."—Mary Ann DeRaad, Tucson, Arizona

"I use Jean's methods on a daily basis, at work and in my
personal life. They help me work through my hardest problems and get
control of the most stressful situations. I wouldn't be as effective or
efficient as I am without them. I highly recommend Jean's
course." —Jason Crawford, Co-founder & CTO, Kima
Labs, San
Francisco, CA

"Your workshop yesterday was absolutely amazing. You have hit
upon a combination to teach the logic based thinking so essential to be
successful in life. I have been working in the information technology
field since 1969 (I was 22). I have attended many, many workshops and
training sessions over the years. Some bad, some good and some that
were great. Yours was the greatest ever! A 'home run.'"—Jim Blakeslee, CIO/Vice President Information
Technology, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI

Testimonials from
individuals who took the one-on-one private course

"The extremely well-integrated set of 5 tools — and
their help
in continuously MONITORING my thinking — have been
invaluable. I seem
to be using them more and more every hour."
—Peter Murphy, CEO, Objective Consulting

"What did I learn from this course? I learned how to set
clear, realistic goals, to access knowledge already stored in my
subconscious, to overcome common barriers to thinking, to sustain
thinking on difficult problems, to unclutter my mind so it would
function efficiently. In other words, I learned to think better and
faster."
—Virginia Tabor, Artist

"In 'Tackling Hard Thinking,' Jean Moroney provides expert
instruction on proven methods of solving problems and generating and
developing creative ideas—ideas large and small that can
propel
business and personal success."
—Jennifer Kral, IT Consultant

"Tackling Hard Thinking gives you ready-made methods for
becoming more effective in problem solving and for being more certain
in decision making."
—Steve Patrick, Manager

"I feel that everyone can benefit from this course on learning
how to think more effectively, including how to prevent "dead ends" and
false starts when working on issues."—Greg Johnson, Hutchinson Technology, Asia

"If your efforts to be productive are blocked by
procrastination in any form, or if you encounter strong resistance to
putting thoughts on paper, then Jean Moroney's course, "Tackling Hard
Thinking," is a highly effective remedy. Not only are her methods
readily graspable and painlessly put to use, but her insight, patience,
clarity, and amazing ability to find a positive where none seemed
possible, is what makes Jean an outstanding teacher."—Quinn Woodworth, Psychotherapist

"The biggest value I received from the course was in learning
a procedure, a plan to follow in thinking about difficult issues. That
relieved my anxiety and helped me focus on the problem I was
considering. Jean, you are one of the best instructors I have ever had."—Linda Zinser, Lawyer

"Jean Moroney's 'Tackling Hard Thinking' course is an
eye-opener in how to deal with hard problems. It is not just peppered
with general advice; rather it is tailored to suit an individual's
actual situation and needs. She is helpful, patient, smart, honest, and
reliable. She is a teacher and a coach rolled into one. I
wholeheartedly recommend this course."—Rohit Gupta,
Ph.D., Group
Leader, Credence Systems Corporation